Mexican Immigration to the U.S.: Realities, Dynamics and Debates - Benjamin J. Bauer
Hometown: Schenectady, New York
Class Year: 2008
Major: Interdepartmental Political Science/LACS
Research Advisor: Daniel Mosquera, Modern Languages and Literature
Project Description:
Mexican immigration to the United States is a complex issue; a confluence of historical, social, political, cultural and economic phenomena. Due to its complexities, immigration is also an issue clouded in obscurity, ignorance and misconceptions. Prone to impassioned divisiveness and posing undeniable contemporary import, it is crucial to recognize the many dimensions that inform the phenomenon and ensure that they are not divorced from political debates. This project examined the discrepancies between current American political rhetoric on Mexican immigration to the U.S. from the "on-the-ground realities" found in Mexico. Research was conducted in Tlaxcala and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; as well as Washington, D.C.